Famille Perrin ‘Les Crus’, Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc `Les Sinards`

For five generations, the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel have produced quality wines in the Southern Rhône. They have always taken a vineyard-led approach, championing classic and lesser-known appellations while utilising organic practices to express a distinct sense of place in their wines. This has earned them a reputation as one of the region’s most respected producers.

For the Luberon Rosé and Luberon Blanc, the Perrin family work closely with their growers to achieve optimal freshness. The fruit is sourced from the Parc Régional de Luberon, situated in the south-east of the Rhône Valley. Here, a combination of cooler climate, an elevation of 300 metres and limestone marl soil gives the wines a lively acidity. The Luberon Rosé blends Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Vermentino, offering a subtle floral and red-fruit character. The Luberon Blanc is a blend of Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, Ugni Blanc and Roussanne and has vibrant citrus notes complemented by a mineral finish.

The Ventoux Rouge hails from the slopes of Mount Ventoux, where high elevations again provide key freshness to this blend of Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah. The finished wine is fragrant with juicy red fruit, balanced by soft, ripe tannins.

The Perrin family manage the vineyards for both of their Côtes-du-Rhône wines. The Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc is sourced from the clay-limestone soils of Cairanne and Jonquières, which provide the wine with a mineral freshness. The blend comprises Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier, vinified in stainless steel. The red blends Grenache and Syrah from the cooler climate of Vinsobres, supplemented with Mourvèdre from Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Saint-Maurice. Characterised by notes of redcurrant fruit and black pepper, the wine is aged in both stainless steel and oak barrels for 12 months to lend it extra weight.

Only 20% of the Côtes-du-Rhône region is permitted to add the word ‘Villages’, which signifies the best vineyard sites within the region. The Côtes-du-Rhône Villages uses the same viticulture and vinification techniques employed at Château de Beaucastel. Made from Grenache and Syrah, planted on stony terraces over clay and limestone, it is a poised wine which typifies the very best of this region. Maturation is equally split between stainless steel, oak foudres and oak barrels for 12 months. This wine delivers excellent value and is characterised by notes of pure redcurrant fruit and Provençal herbs balanced by ripe and sleek tannins.

Famille Perrin ‘Les Crus’

These wines highlight the diversity of certain Southern Rhône ‘Crus’, chosen for their distinctive soils and characters. The Vacqueyras ‘Les Christins’ is sourced from eight hectares of old vines, with an average age of 50 years, managed by the Château de Beaucastel team. The vines are situated south of the Dentelles de Montmirail where the soil is rich in clay and sand with stony terraces. This mix lends this Grenache-dominant wine a powerful intensity lifted by a supple, expressive red fruit character. It is predominantly aged in oak foudres, with 20% aged in used oak barrels. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘Les Sinards’ Blanc is a blend of Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne. Made in tiny quantities, it is sourced from a 2.5-hectare plot, ‘Clos du Château’, located near Beaucastel, and managed by the same team. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘Les Sinards’ Rouge is a blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah sourced from a neighbouring plot and from some of the young vines under 15 years old at Beaucastel. The Gigondas ‘La Gille’ is a blend of Grenache and Syrah from limestone, calcareous marl, and sandy soils, including some plots of Grenache planted on pre-phylloxera vines. Maturation is long to soften and refine the tannins, producing a balanced wine with an expressive red fruit character. The Perrin family own a 60-hectare plot of Syrah and Grenache in Vinsobres, planted as terraces on stony and sandy marl soils. Vinsobres’ more northerly location in the Southern Rhône suits Syrah, preserving its fine violet and blackberry character. It produces a full-bodied but poised Grenache with typical Garrigue aromas and fresh cherry fruit.